What are cannabinoids?

In the simplest of terms, cannabinoids are the chemical compounds that lend cannabis its medical and recreational characteristics. These chemicals interact with the body’s cells when consumed to produce a range of therapeutic effects. Found in the plant’s trichomes, more commonly known as crystals, cannabinoids are, in essence, the heart and soul of the cannabis plant.

Though cannabis has been used for thousands of years to help with symptoms and conditions of every stripe, it’s only been 60 years since researchers started to figure out why. It was 1964 when famed Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam first isolated and synthesized the primary psychoactive ingredient found in the cannabis plant: THC.1

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is one of over 60 cannabinoids discovered in the trichomes of the cannabis plant. Belonging to a class of naturally occurring compounds known as phytocannabinoids, THC is known to produce the “high” traditionally associated with cannabis use. Other cannabinoids, like CBD for instance, actually possess no psychoactive properties and can be used as an analgesic.2

While scientists have to date discovered over a hundred cannabinoids, the two most notable, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), continue to exemplify the cannabis plant’s most majestic, and mysterious, qualities. Like the other 60-plus cannabinoids studied so far, THC and CBD can be isolated, and consumed in concentrated form.

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. In plain terms, THC is singularly responsible for the profound physiological reaction most people experience when they consume cannabis in any of its forms. Used as the chief agent in most medical cannabis treatments, THC is very much a celebrated component of the budding recreational cannabis conversation.

CBD

Cannabidiol is one of the least active, but most effective, cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It accounts for nearly half of all extracts taken from the flowers at harvest, and rivals THC as the most significant cannabinoid that the plant’s trichomes produce. As an isolated cannabinoid, CBD has become revered in recent years as a revolutionary molecule, responsible for subduing symptoms as severe as seizures in epileptic patients.

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Cannabis worked for six-year-old Kate Pogson when no other medication helped her. As someone with epilepsy, she suffered hour-long seizures once every two days before her family discovered the value of CBD-heavy cannabis oil, says her father Barry in an interview.

Robust is one way to define the current breadth of research that involves the cannabis and its
chemical parts. Across the planet – namely in states and countries where medical cannabis is
permitted – scientists are becoming increasingly invested in discovering the full potential of the
cannabis plant. To date, those studies have focussed tightly on the isolating and use of particular
cannabinoids, and the prospect that isolated cannabis molecules may hold the key to any number
of conditions. With these advancements, researchers have been able to add significant scientific
knowledge, data and innovation to the medical cannabis discussion.

While cannabis has been used for thousands of yards as a therapeutic agent, its commercial
viability has only taken shape in the last century. Contemporary treatment is now characterized
by a plethora of products in a variety of concentrations, traditional cannabis therapy revolved
around one product: tinctures.

As medical cannabis has gained acceptance as a viable treatment option over the past two decades,
so too has the list of symptoms the plant has been shown to help grown. No longer is the plant merely
used to treat chronic pain or extreme conditions like HIV/AIDS, it now complements nearly every
therapy option available.

As a flurry of new products have flooded the budding cannabis market in recent years, so too have those developments come to represent a wealth of hope for medical patients, or anyone
looking for an alternative therapy. Where, traditionally, cannabis was consumed by inhalation – combusting flowers in a joint or pipe – the contemporary cannabis discussion is one
characterized by advancement and sophistication.

Insomnia, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome are but a few of the ills that fall under the
category of sleep condition. Though not quick to receive much attention from the healthcare
community, the threat associated with sleep conditions – from obesity to cardiovascular disease –
is stark.

The decision to adopt cannabis as a treatment option is, like most significant changes in life, very
personal. Whether you’ve decided to incorporate medical cannabis into your routine to treat
chronic pain, sleep issues, cancer symptoms or social anxiety, you’ve likely done so primarily
for one reason: to feel better.